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utility

utility

16 5.7
The satisfaction a person gets from a good or service
  • noun
  • /juːˈtɪləti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : utilidad
  • The concept of utility helps economists understand how consumers make choices based on their satisfaction.
  • maximize utility
  • utility maximization
  • expected utility

That's what is known as ordinal utility, the sort of utility endorsed by the Austrians.

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Examples

  • In economics, the utility derived from a product often influences its price and demand.

  • Consumers often weigh the utility of different brands before making a purchase decision.

  • And by this I mean, not only, yes, it has great utility, it's more, what does that mean?

  • One of the key features of this measure is its utility for assessing risk status.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Their study may be defended on the grounds of its utility for the individual or society.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Modeling connects math classes to authentic problems and demonstrates the utility of mathematical thought.

    Academic text (2015)
  • The desired level of electricity consumption, q*, maximizes utility subject to the budget constraint.

    Academic text (1991)

Synonyms

value
vsutility
1.3

How much something is worth in money or how useful it is

measures personal satisfaction rather than monetary or numeric amounts
worth
vsutility
149 1.5

A quality that makes something valuable or useful

focuses on measuring an individual's satisfaction rather than an object's quality

Antonyms

disutility
  • Specialized
8.8

Harm that a person suffers from an action or choice

Compounds

A large car like a truck that can drive on roads and rough ground

public utility
  • Specialized
8 3.2

An organization that provides essential services like water or electricity and is regulated by the government

A person who fixes and takes care of public services like power and water

marginal utility
  • Specialized
3 7.0

Extra enjoyment you get from one more item, like a slice of pizza

1 4.9

A team member who can play several positions well in sports like baseball

utility program
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A computer tool that does system tasks like cleaning files or scanning for viruses

1 5.2

A person who does many different jobs and fills in when needed

utility man
  • Jargon
1 6.1

A player who can play several positions in baseball

2.9

A company that supplies water, electricity, or gas and is run under government rules

A person who can do several different jobs and move between roles when needed

utility revenue bond
  • Specialized
7.7

A loan to build public services like water or electricity paid back from the money those services earn

utility routine
  • Specialized
4.9

A small program that does a common task other programs can use

utility bond
  • Specialized
6.1

Money a government or city borrows to pay for public services like water and electricity

utility woman
  • Jargon
8.3

A female baseball player who can play several positions

7.4

A female worker who does different jobs when needed

How Satisfying

welfare
411 2.1
satisfaction
192 2.2
utility
  • Specialized
16 5.7
disutility
  • Specialized
8.8

Surface Forms

utility singular
utilities plural

Morphology

utility = use (opaque) = util + ity

The economics sense is a technical abstract measure (satisfaction/value) that is not transparently derivable from everyday 'use' by a B1 learner.

Etymology

In economics, utility means the satisfaction a person gets from something and it comes from utilis 'useful'. So economists use 'utility' to talk about how 'useful' or valuable a good or action is to someone.